(Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Krivoi Rog, Donetsk, and Kyiv) Report of a ...

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92 As he had stated in previous years, Mr. Kinkov said that the Lyceum would function at its best if all of its classes could meet in a single building with an auditorium or large multi-purpose room in which all pupils could meet and hold school events, such as assemblies and holiday celebrations. Additionally, the school needs a sports hall and modern science laboratories. In speaking of school necessities, Mr. Kinkov also stated that a larger budget would enable the Lyceum to pay bonuses in order to employ the very best teachers available. ORT cannot compete with many other schools in attracting top-notch pedagogues, he said. 59. Time constraints prevented the writer from visiting the two remaining Jewish day schools in Kyiv. The Perlina School, an independent Chabad school under the sponsorship of Rabbi Yonatan and Mrs. Ina Markovich, is known for its outstanding preschool and its Hebrew- and English-language programs. It enrolls about 130 pupils in a renovated former preschool with an excellent outdoor playground and a soccer field; however, the facility is too small to accommodate expansion critical to development of a first-rate middle school and high school. The current building lacks science laboratories, adequate computer space, and an appropriately-sized sports hall. In common with other schools, the Markoviches have encountered severe difficulty in acquiring suitable school premises. However, the Markoviches have embarked on a new education venture, a school for autistic children, at another site. (See the following page.) The Mitzvah School is a small preschool and elementary school accommodating about 100 youngsters. It operates under the supervision of Rabbi Moshe Asman of the Brodsky synagogue. School #128 is a public school that housed an optional secular Jewish studies component from 1990 through the 2009-2010 school year. Established by the Israeli government in a drive to advance secular Jewish Zionist education (and provide an alternative to religious Jewish day schools then in early stages of development in Russia and Ukraine), School #128 never attracted a large number of Jewish pupils. The institution is, and has been, a mediocre public school with a steadily declining general student body and more rapidly declining Jewish enrollment. Despite the provision of an ORT computer technology program arranged by the Israeli government, the principal of School #128 was unsympathetic to its Jewish section; his hostility, combined with a diminishing Jewish pupil census, led to termination of Israeli state support for the School #128 Jewish studies program after the 2009-2010 school year. In the meantime, the Masorti/Conservative movement is planning to open an optional Jewish studies section in another school that already has a significant Jewish enrollment and is respected in the city. The new program will be initiated in the 2012- 2013 school year.
93 60. Rabbi Yonatan and Mrs. Ina Markovich opened a school for autistic children in Kyiv in 2010. In the absence of Rabbi and Mrs. Markovich, who were attending to family matters in Israel, the writer met with Natalia Struchek, director of the school, and Ina Sergienko, mother of a child with mild autism who is now enrolled in the mainstream Markovich Perlina school. The program for autistic children is named Дитина з майбутнім (Ukr.; English translation Children with a Future). In an earlier discussion, Mrs. Markovich told the writer that she and Rabbi Markovich had been approached in recent years by a number of Jewish families seeking educational programs for their autistic children. After unsuccessfully attempting to integrate several such youngsters into regular Perlina classes, the Markoviches decided to open a dedicated school for autistic children. They approached specialists in their home country of Israel for advice and visited various Israeli institutions working with autistic youngsters before proceeding with their plans. No full-day programs with meal or social services had existed in Ukraine prior to the launch of the Markovich program. With the help of several families with autistic children, the Markoviches obtained an underused preschool building and renovated it according to recommendations of Israeli experts. The demand for such education is so great that the normally ponderous and corrupt Kyiv education bureaucracy issued them a 10-year operating license without even inspecting the facility, which, in any case, was not yet completed at the time operating permission was secured. The relevant official, who is known “to like envelopes”, i.e., to expect envelopes containing bribe money, did not request payment of any kind. The two-story building contains four self-contained suites of rooms, two suites on each floor. Each suite is designed to accommodate eight to ten youngsters with comparable needs, but the school opened with only nine children in the fall of 2010 as Ms. Struchek, a local woman with some foreign training in working with autistic children, prefers to gain experience in the facility and with other teachers before expanding to full capacity. The intent is to open the school to a broad range of autistic youngsters, not just Jewish children. Jewish content is available for Jewish families, but the Jewish atmosphere is discreet. A portion of the Markovich school for autistic children is seen at right. The school grounds are expansive and most of its territory is enclosed by a fence. Photo: http://www.childfuture.kiev.ua/photo.html. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
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OBSERVATIONS ON JEWISH COMMUNITY LI
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3 begin to pay taxes that they had
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5 Dnipropetrovsk Founded in 1778 on
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7 The major entrance to the Menorah
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9 The preschool is operating “at
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11 pupils (503) and the number of y
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13 families whose relationship to C
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15 boys’ home (a former synagogue
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17 The overwhelming majority of lit
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19 homes, sometimes bringing them s
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21 program in Kharkiv come to Beit
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23 return for the teaching done by
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25 started as more funds become ava
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27 Holocaust, and rebirth of Jewish
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29 manufacturer inevitably will ent
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31 Two newcomers were expected to j
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33 individual needs, providing food
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35 managing. He has heard of very f
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37 committee for the clinic was est
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39 Jewish community. Another 120 in
Page 41 and 42: 41 Natalia Rier, who directs the lo
Page 43 and 44: 43 speakers are fluent in English a
Page 45 and 46: 45 The consul noted that the ICC wi
Page 47 and 48: 47 Ms. Katz confirmed that Hesed Me
Page 49 and 50: 49 Dnipropetrovsk. The relationship
Page 51 and 52: 51 It is very difficult to raise mo
Page 53 and 54: 53 are the daughters of local rabbi
Page 55 and 56: 55 requires that all private school
Page 57 and 58: 57 Vkontakte, to recruit students a
Page 59 and 60: 59 seniors purchase in order to rec
Page 61 and 62: 61 Rabbi Moskovitz noted, a busines
Page 63 and 64: 63 writer met with George Faingold,
Page 65 and 66: 65 males if they would willingly se
Page 67 and 68: 67 utilities, petrol, transportatio
Page 69 and 70: Jewish Education and Culture 69 44.
Page 71 and 72: 71 46. It is common in Ukraine and
Page 73 and 74: 73 purchase new clothing. Donetsk,
Page 75 and 76: 75 The fitness hall is a gift from
Page 77 and 78: 77 National and International Jewis
Page 79 and 80: 79 drain”, but she doesn’t yet
Page 81 and 82: Jewish Education and Culture 81 52.
Page 83 and 84: 83 Surrounding the prayer hall are
Page 85 and 86: 85 the program is very expensive to
Page 87 and 88: 87 preschools. Authorities could fo
Page 89 and 90: 89 in its generally poor neighborho
Page 91: 91 connected to the Internet; howev
Page 95 and 96: 95 accounting procedures require th
Page 97 and 98: 97 Other individuals in Kyiv with w
Page 99 and 100: 99 64. An organization bearing the
Page 101 and 102: 101 group, but the young women them
Page 103 and 104: 103 worked in Jewish schools and ca
Page 105 and 106: 105 Lo Tishkach arranges all travel
Page 107 and 108: 107 Ukraine in this period. They cl
Page 109 and 110: 109 kashrut, and/or work in secular
Page 111 and 112: 111 Odesa, said Rabbi Dukhovny, pro
Page 113 and 114: The writer observed 12 to 15 univer
Page 115 and 116: 115 and funds simply do not exist,
Page 117 and 118: 117 rightwing antisemites, i.e., ne
Page 119 and 120: 119 songs, the Holocaust, Jewish he
Page 121 and 122: 121 countries are eligible for aliy
Page 123 and 124: 123 The JDC welfare caseload in the
Page 125 and 126: 125 In response to a question, both
Page 127 and 128: 127 Commentary 84. The Jewish popul
Page 129: 129 accommodates modernity and thei
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(Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Krivoi Rog, Donetsk, and Kyiv) Report of a ...

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